Re: Amazon diseases

[Marco Lacerda <marcolacerda@ax.apc.org>]

Kathy Olson wrote:
> 
> Marco,
> 
> On one of the apisto's we collected (mostly all one site) there is
> something that looks like fin lice.  Small 1/2 cm tan cylindrical things
> attached to the dorsal and anal fins of the apisto's.  Only on the
> apisto's.  What do you treat with to get rid of this.

I've seen this "fin lice" also in bigger cichlids, like Geophagus, 
Acarichthys and Gymnogeophagus (the later is not from Amazon). It seems 
to be a common parasite through South America. 
In small quantities of fish, like 5 to 10 fishes, you can remove the 
"lices" by taking the fish out of water, and using a diluted solution of 
formaline (I used FMC, a combination of malachite green + methylene blue 
+ formaline) applied directly on the lice (with the help of a piece of 
cotton at the end of a stick; I don't know the English work for this 
object, but I think you will understand it).
Sometimes the lice was "drunk" enough to be then removed from the fins; 
when not I repeat the treatment days later until the lice can be 
removed.

> How do you treat your new caught fish?

It depends on which fish species.
Normally Rio Negro Apistos have worms (nematodes). So I give them 
flubenol (from Bayer) together with the food.
For general condition it seems that the most important is that when 
collecting you don't put too many fish together, avoiding the water to 
foul. If such happens, then the fish will easily have bacterial 
infections.
 
> We have them all isolated.  Some got ich on the way home and are all being
> treated for that.  On the boat we had them in fairly large tubs and did
> 50% water changes  two times a day.  No fish death except 3 apisto's on
> the way home, 3 laetcara and 2 tetras.  That is for probably over 100
> fish.

It seems that you treated them well. 

> There was one site all the tetras came down with a disease on their tails.

This is probably from the collecting. Tetras don't stand to be out of 
water, best way is to get them from the net with a bit of water, what 
you can do with a normal glass, spoon or even your hands with the 
fingers tight, like a shell.

> Karen Randall thought it might be bacterial infection (? collumaris).  It
> only affected one type of tetra, needless to say we did not keep that
> tetra and everyone else is okay so far.  It was a fuzzy disease that ate
> there tails.

Yes, correct, tetras are very sensitive about this. Best way is to 
prevent this disease, by taking them from the net like so. Also avoid 
mud or much fine sand into the net, this destroys the slim fishes have 
to protect themselves.

> When you collect what do you use and at what depths?

Apistos, handnets is the best way, as they live mostly inside forests 
(some of them, sure). When living in the "praias" (sandy river shores) 
two people can use a seine, it is very effective.
For tetras, it depends on their swimming habits; for tetras like 
Hatchets, you just need to use your seine on upper level, no need to use 
it up the river bottom.
 
> It was a lot of fun to go, I will say that, next time I hope we can get
> down your way!!

Yes, I hope so.
Collecting is always a great experience. By the way, the Cory you find 
at Rio Negro is Corydoras hastatus, not C. pygmaeus.
Lots of interesting fishes, like Aspidoras pauciradiatus, Helogenes 
marmoratus (small marbled catfish swimming at middle water), Gnatocharax 
steindachneri, Hemigrammus stictus (green, caudal peduncle cherry red), 
just to mention a few not normally found at petshops.

> Kathy

Cheers.




-------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is the apistogramma mailing list, apisto@majordomo.pobox.com.
For instructions on how to subscribe or unsubscribe or get help,
email apisto-request@majordomo.pobox.com.
Search http://altavista.digital.com for "Apistogramma Mailing List Archives"!